With a cast of John Cassavetes, Peter Falk and
Gena Rowlands, one might expect this to be one of those small independent
crime films of the 1970s that they were involved with. But in fact, this
would be better classified as an Italian crime film, right at the onset of
the wave of them. Everyone behind the camera is Italian including the director
Giuliano Montaldo (Grand Slam, Sacco & Vanzetti) and composer Ennio Morricone.
A number of the supporting actors are Italian as well. But much of it is
shot in the most American of cities, Las Vegas. It is a well shot waste no
time gangster film though the fate of all the characters feels sealed from
the moment we meet them.
Falk is in charge of the West Coast for
an organized crime group in which most of them have Italian accents and names
like Don Francisco and Don Salvatore. But Falk wants more. He wants to invest
in Las Vegas though warned by the boys in New York to stay out of Vegas.
He doesn't listen of course and threatens one manager to let him in. He is
refused. So, he decides to rob them and gets Machine Gun McCain (Cassavetes)
out of a long sentence in prison. What he doesn't know but is soon to is
that the casino he threatened is owned by the mob.
Big mistake and he can't contact McCain
to stop him. Cassavetes always has an edge about him. He is a walking time
bomb ticking down. Here he has a soft side though mainly directed at the
woman he quickly hooks up with. What woman could refuse a man who tells her,
"I have been in jail for 12-years for armed robbery and I need a woman".
You have my permission to use that the next time you meet an attractive woman
in a smoky bar. 100% guaranteed success. Even with the lovely Britt Ekland.
Gena is his ex-girlfriend and shows up at the end with more brass balls than
a traveling circus. Why any man would risk going back to jail with Britt
in love with him is a great mystery. The film could have used a bit more
pizzazz and less of a dud ending. I expected it to go off into a Point Blank
territory, but no such luck. One of the New York men is played by Gabriele
Ferzetti, a familiar face from being Draco in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
